In short
This AM update covers: (1) new polling warning signs for President Trump ahead of 2026 midterms, including an Economist/YouGov finding 34% approval and a record 62% disapproval, with particularly low ratings on Iran (28%), inflation (25%), and gas prices (21%). It also notes a CNN survey where 77% support voter photo ID (62% Democrats, 77% independents, 95% Republicans). Guest David Chalian (CNN) argues Trump underperforms on top issues; Harry Enten (CNN) highlights voter-ID popularity; Tom Bevan (RealClearPolitics) says Republican internal splits and low enthusiasm could hurt turnout. (2) The DNC lost nearly $29,000 to an email scam impersonating chair Ken Martin; only $7,000 was recovered, and the DNC says it was a one-off misdisbursement. Lauren Egan (The Bulwark) says the DNC’s debt and inability to fund coordinated midterm efforts threaten its relevance. (3) A magnitude 6.8 earthquake in southwestern Japan killed at least 18, including deaths at a mall after a suspected gas explosion. (4) Newly released body-camera footage of Tony Romo’s July 23 arrest for alleged drunk driving, including refusal of a preliminary breath test and an OWI traffic allegation.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOPolling Insights on Trump and DNC Scandal
0:44 to 2:21
Discussion on Trump's low approval ratings and the DNC's financial scandal.
“New polling showing warning signs for President Trump with his own base as both parties look ahead to the midterms.”
Trump's Approval Ratings and Political Strategy
2:31 to 7:50
Analysis of Trump's approval ratings and implications for the GOP in upcoming elections.
“Supersure Insurance Agency, LLC, a licensed insurance agency.”
DNC's Financial Troubles and Election Strategies
7:50 to 12:30
Exploration of the DNC's financial issues and its impact on midterm elections.
“Bevin breaks down how both parties are attempting to frame the choice before voters.”
Earthquake Devastation in Japan
14:22 to 20:14
An overview of the massive earthquake in Japan and its impact on the region.
“A massive earthquake rocking southwestern Japan, killing at least 18 people and leaving rescue crews racing to reach survivors still believed trapped beneath collapsed buildings.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:01At DSW, we ask the important questions like, what shoes are you going to wear? Whether you're prepping for wedding season, festival season, or just planning the ultimate vacay, the right shoes can make or break an RSVP. So own the moment. You've got big plans and we've got just the shoes. At the perfect price, of course. Get ready to get ready with Designer Shoe Warehouse. Head to your DSW store or DSW.com today and let us surprise you. Good morning, everyone. I'm Emily Jashinsky, host of After Party and the Megyn Kelly Wrap-Up Show on SiriusXM Channel 111. It's Thursday, July 30th, 2026, and this is your AM update.
0:43He does not even crack 30 % approval, so he's underperforming on the most prominent issues of the day. New polling showing warning signs for President Trump with his own base as both parties look ahead to the midterms. A thief scamming the cash-strapped Democrat National committee out of nearly$29 ,000 as the party struggles with mounting debt ahead of the midterms. A powerful earthquake devastating southwestern Japan, killing at least 18 people and leaving thousands without power or water as rescuers race to find survivors. Did I pass this test? You turn around? No, I didn't. Newly released body camera footage capturing former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo's arrest for alleged drunk driving.
1:26All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM update.
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2:57That negative 28 point margin marking Mr. Trump's worst net approval rating across either of his two terms. The president maintaining overwhelming support among Republicans who identify with the MAGA movement, posting a net approval rating of a positive 89 points. Non-MAGA Republicans, however, now closely divided. 55 % approved versus 43 % disapproving for a net approval of just plus 12, collapsing from plus 84 points at the beginning of his second term. Independent voters also souring sharply, giving Mr. Trump a net approval rating of negative 53 points compared to negative four when he returned to office.
3:35A separate new CNN poll producing the same overall approval number with just 34 % of Americans approving of the president's performance. A record 73 % saying Mr. Trump is not devoting enough attention to the country's most important problems, while roughly three quarters believe he is out of touch with the challenges ordinary Americans face. The president receiving particularly weak marks on the issues dominating the news. Just 28 % approving of his handling of the conflict with Iran, 25 % approving of his handling of inflation and only 21 percent approving of his handling of gas prices. CNN Washington bureau chief and political director David Chalian breaking down why those numbers could prove especially damaging for the president and the GOP.
4:18There is not an issue tested where he has majority support, but the major driving issues of the day, Iran, inflation, gas prices, they are at the bottom of the list on those three issues. He does not even crack 30 percent approval. So he's underperforming on the most prominent issues of the day than his overall approval. I mean, on gas prices, 21 percent approval. Inflation, the issue that sort of brought him back to the Oval Office, he promised to lower prices. He's only at 25 percent approval. And so even if you look at the top, like immigration, one of his former strong suits, he still only sits at 39 percent approval.
4:54So there's not an issue where he is. He can sort of tout as a major success. But really troubling for him and his party is that we know the economy is issue number one. And he is just very, very low in those numbers on that issue. The president, however, finding one relative bright spot on voting rights and election integrity, his strongest issue in the CNN survey at 41 percent approval. That coming as separate polling shows overwhelming public support for requiring voters to present photo identification. CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten breaking it down. Overwhelming support for it. We've spoken about it before, and the polling really hasn't shifted all that much.
5:31And you can just see it right here. OK, so we're talking about voters favoring photo ID to vote. Among all voters, we're talking 77 percent. And this is uniform, basically, or universal, I should say. Universal. Democrats, 62 percent. Independents, 77 percent. Republicans, 95 percent. This is something that is popular across the political spectrum. It is a rare thing that is popular across the political spectrum. When it comes to voter ID, the voters are with President Trump on this, whether they're Democrats, independents or Republicans. Overall, very clear, we're talking about three and four overall who support the idea of photo ID in order to vote.
6:09We asked RealClearPolitics co-founder and President Tom Bevin what the growing divide inside the Republican coalition could mean in November. It's huge, obviously. I mean, because the midterms are lower turnout elections and you need to motivate your base first and foremost. to have the Republican Party split like that, and also to have an enthusiasm gap where Democrats are much, much more eager to turn out in November or telling pollsters they are than Republicans. I mean, those two things bode very ill for Republicans. Midterms are base elections. You have to turn out your base first and foremost.
6:46Yes, you want to win over independence, but first and foremost, you have to turn out your side. And Republicans are struggling to do that right now. Bevan tells us why independents remain a critical piece of the midterm equation. A lot of people will tell pollsters they're independent, but they're really, they lean Democrat or they lean Republican. The people who are truly independent that will vote independently are about 10%, sometimes a little bit lower, sometimes a little bit higher. That is a small slice of the electorate. But when you're talking about races that can be decided by a point or two, they become hugely important.
7:23And so to have independence so sour on, and this is the other thing that is really a problem for Republicans is that they control all the levers of government. So whatever your problem is, if you are dissatisfied with anything about the current state of our politics, whether it's the economy or inflation or Iran or anything else, there's really only one party that you can hold responsible for that. And that's the Republican Party. And that's why they are struggling in what is shaping up to be a very good Democratic year. Bevin breaks down how both parties are attempting to frame the choice before voters.
8:00It's very easy to nationalize these races around Donald Trump. And so you have Senate candidates that in particular are running against Donald Trump, even though their term is six years long. Donald Trump will not be president for at least two-thirds of their term. And yet it is all about fighting him in this moment. And that is what is motivating Democrats. And so, yes, they're nationalizing these elections all across the country around Donald Trump. And that's why Republicans are doing their best to make this, A, as localized as possible, and then B, the Republicans' second strategy is to say, look, you may not like Donald Trump, you may not like the Republican Party.
8:41However, the alternative in a binary choice, which is the Democrats, They are worse because they are radical, because they are socialists, because they are communists. And that is having some effect, but certainly it's not as persuasive. As for voter ID, an issue where the president enjoys broad public support, Bevin offers a more complicated assessment of whether Republicans can translate that advantage into political momentum. So that is another 80-20 issue that Republicans are on the 80 side of. However, this is, and Chuck Schumer has said this, Democrats will never, ever give in on the issue of voter ID, on the issue of Save America Act.
9:24Even if it was 100 to nothing, 100 to zero in favor of that, Democrats will be going to the wall against it. And so and ironically, it has been an issue that has split Republicans. The Republican base, MAGA voters in particular, cannot understand why Republicans in Washington, D.C. will not find the votes and pass this. And President Trump has been very outspoken in terms of bashing John Thune and other Republicans for not getting this done. And so ironically, it's an issue that is depressing the Republican base because Republicans are in control and can't seem to get this passed. Meanwhile, Democrats are unified against it, even though it's an issue that the public is against them on overwhelmingly.
10:10The financially struggling Democrat National Committee falling victim to an email scam, losing thousands of dollars to a fraudster impersonating its newly elected chairman. Notice reporting an unknown person emailed a DNC staffer in February of last year, pretending to be Chairman Ken Martin just days after he took office. The staffer reportedly sending the imposter nearly$29 ,000. A DNC official telling Notice the committee caught the mistake within minutes and contacted Wells Fargo, but recovered only$7 ,000. The former staffer no longer working for the committee. The DNC later disclosing what it called a, quote, quote, misdisbursement caused by an outside fraudster to the Federal Election Commission, promising to implement additional safeguards.
10:55A committee spokesperson describing the incident to notice as a, quote, one-off mistake that was quickly addressed, while insisting nothing similar has happened since. The embarrassing loss coming as the DNC struggles with a much larger financial crisis ahead of November's midterm elections. Federal records showing the committee with approximately$16.3 million in cash and$18.5 million in debt through the end of June, while the Republican National Committee holds more than$128 million and carries no debt. The DNC also reportedly putting its Washington headquarters up as collateral to secure a$15 million line of credit.
11:33The Bulwark reporter Lauren Egan explaining Monday on MSNOW why the committee's financial condition threatens its ability to perform its central role during a midterm election. The Democratic National Committee is going into August with$2 million in debt. That is pretty bad. I think there was some hope at the beginning of the year that Ken Martin was going to be able to turn this around, that once we got into 2026, some of these big donors would come back to the table. And that clearly just hasn't happened in a very meaningful way. And the big concern now is that Ken Martin is essentially driving the DNC to irrelevance.
12:07The whole point of the DNC in a midterm year is to basically act as a bank and to give out money to the big party committees, the DS, the D-Trip, and Martin can't do that right now. So there's essentially no coordinated campaign going on amongst these party committees. And that is, again, the DNC's entire purpose is to do that in a midterm election year. So his relevance is just completely gone down the toilet. And it's really not a great situation. Coming up, a deadly earthquake tearing through southwestern Japan, collapsing homes and a crowded shopping mall as crews search for people still trapped in the wreckage.
12:45And former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo's alleged drunk driving arrest caught on newly released body camera footage.
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14:22A massive earthquake rocking southwestern Japan, killing at least 18 people and leaving rescue crews racing to reach survivors still believed trapped beneath collapsed buildings. The U.S. Geological Survey measuring Tuesday afternoon's earthquake at magnitude 6.8, the shallow quake striking near the coastal city of Uto at approximately 4.27 p.m. local time, the destruction stretching across the region, with houses flattened, roads torn apart, and fires reportedly breaking out in the nearby Kumamoto city. Some of the worst devastation unfolding at the Eon Mall in the town of Kashima, where thousands of customers were reportedly shopping when the earthquake hit.
15:03The mall reportedly evacuating approximately 3 ,000 people into the parking lot before a suspected gas explosion ripped through another section of the complex more than an hour later. Part of the mall's second floor collapsing, trapping workers still inside. At least four people now confirmed dead at the mall, with several others reportedly remaining missing as soldiers and emergency crews searched the wreckage. Rescuers also searching collapsed homes and a heavily damaged paper mill, where a falling chimney reportedly killed five people and trapped several others. Japanese Prime Minister Sana 'i Takeichi speaking at a press conference yesterday on the ongoing rescue operation, announcing the deployment of more than 3 ,500 military personnel and dozens of aircraft.
15:46There are many people who are still waiting for help and it's a race against time. We will go all out to find and rescue as many people as we can. The full scale of the disaster is still emerging, as extreme summer heat complicates the search and leaves thousands of displaced residents sheltering without reliable electricity or running water. Sky News Asia correspondent Helen Ann Smith reporting on the scale of the rescue effort and the growing challenges facing communities across the disaster zone. And look, I think the authorities are really throwing everything now at this rescue operation. In excess of three and a half thousand soldiers, 20 aircraft, some 300 ,000 people have been told to evacuate and sort of stay evacuated, stay in these evacuation shelters because the authorities are really worried about aftershocks.
16:36This was a pretty shallow earthquake, only about 10 kilometers. And that means that the potential for afterquakes, aftershocks is higher. They've already been around 60, apparently, albeit not particularly strong ones. But the concern is real there. And then there are around 50 ,000 homes without power, 140 ,000 without water. And that's been a real problem for the hospitals as well. Lots of reports of hospitals saying that they're finding it difficult to get energy supplies, some of their equipment's damaged. They're trying to sort of relocate their patients to other places, but there's not a whole lot of hospitals who are able to take them.
17:12Body camera footage from former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current CBS broadcaster Tony Romo's alleged drunk driving arrest now public. A Milwaukee County Sheriff's deputy pulling Romo over on an interstate shortly after 6 p.m. on July 23rd, after allegedly watching him cross a white traffic line. Romo telling the deputy he was coming from a golf tournament and heading to meet his grandparents. The deputy then asking Romo how much he had to drink. How many drinks have you had? That's cool. You're coming from a golf course? I'm playing a golf tournament in Wisconsin State Amphstown. Okay. So it's like a USGA event.
17:49Okay, all right. I'm going to run you to some fields. What's that mean? Field sobriety tests. Are you willing to take any of those sobriety tests? I'm going to call my lawyer. Roma pulling out his phone and saying he planned to contact his attorney, the deputy telling him he could not make the call and ordering him out of the vehicle. The former quarterback then placing his phone on the bumper of his truck to record the encounter himself. The stop unfolding along a busy bridge, prompting the deputy to handcuff Romo and explain they needed to relocate to safer, level ground. You're detained pending an OWI investigation.
18:24Deputy Corps, sir. Are you going to take me through the... So, as of right now, we're on a leveled ground. We're on a bridge. I want to convey you somewhere that's going to be an even surface, free of debris. Yes, I agree, so we don't get it. Turn around for me. The footage later picking up at the sheriff's station, where an officer cataloging Romo's belongings informs him that deputies found miniature liquor bottles inside his backpack. Romo responding, quote, yeah, any of them drank? I don't think any of them were drank, right? Romo then stretching before the field sobriety test, telling officers he had undergone multiple back surgeries and that riding in the back of the patrol car had aggravated his injuries.
19:03Upon completion of the tests, officers asking whether he would take a preliminary breath test. You are willing to submit to a PBT? What is that? It's a machine that you blow on. It's a preliminary breath test. It does not determine the results of my test. Oh, no, we're not doing that. Okay. I've heard it here from all the lawyers, don't ever do that. Okay. So, we're not going to do that. Okay. All right, sir. Did I pass this test? You turn around? No, I didn't. Can I use my phone real quick? Because there's a plane taking off. You're under arrest for operating well under the influence, okay? The deputy then placing Romo under arrest, citing him for first offense operating while intoxicated.
19:46The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office telling the California Post the allegation is being handled as a traffic violation rather than a criminal charge. Romo is scheduled to appear in court on September 21st and has not yet publicly commented on the incident, the 46-year-old playing quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 2004 through 2016 before joining CBS as one of the network's lead NFL broadcasters. That'll do it for your AM update. I'm Emily Jashinski, host of After Party. Go and check out more at afterpartyemily.com. Catch The Megyn Kelly Show later today, live on SiriusXM's The Megyn Kelly Channel, 111 at noon east.
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From the publisher
New polling reveals President Trump’s approval rating sliding to historic lows, with weakening support among independents and non-MAGA Republicans raising warning signs for the GOP ahead of the midterms - RealClearPolitics co-founder Tom Bevan weighs in. The Democratic National Committee reportedly loses nearly $29,000 to a fraudster impersonating its chairman, compounding the party’s mounting debt and deepening financial crisis. A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake devastates southwestern Japan, killing at least 18 people and leaving rescuers searching collapsed buildings as hundreds of thousands remain displaced. Newly released body-camera footage captures former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo’s alleged drunk-driving arrest.
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